Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper
NASSAU, The Bahamas--The country is one step closer to achieving “major land reforms,” Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Chester Cooper said on Wednesday as he tabled two bills meant to introduce an adjudication process for properties in ownership disputes and establish a modern land registry.
Cooper said that the decades-old issue of land disputes has hindered growth in the country, leaving businesses hesitant to expand and investors reluctant to build on land without clear titles.
“Throughout the years, many people have given up on the fight for their land because they lack the resources to win the fight in court,” he said in the House of Assembly.
“It is no secret that those with deep pockets, supported by clever attorneys, figure out ways to influence outcomes in their favour by taking advantage of the broken, chaotic system. We are putting an end to these injustices.”
The Land Adjudication Bill, 2025, will introduce an adjudication process to officially determine ownership of a piece of disputed land, he said. Once passed, the law will allow for a qualified adjudicator and support staff to visit communities, mark boundaries, hear claims, examine evidence and resolve disputes through a tribunal.
Cooper said this will determine land ownership claims in disputes and allow for the property to be properly registered.
Once passed, land registration will be facilitated by the Registered Land Bill, 2025. This will establish a modern land registry where each parcel of land gets a unique identification number. The registry will set out clear procedures for transfers, leases, and other interests in land.
Under this law, landowners will be given certificates indicating proof of ownership.
“When these bills are debated, passed and implemented, we will have land adjudicators officially clarifying ownership rights once and for all, as well as land tribunals hearing disputes and making fair decisions based on the facts,” Cooper said.
“We will bring clarity to the registration of land, creating one official record that is set in stone as we move from a deed-based system to a modern title-based system. This means no more overlapping claims, no more uncertainty of ownership that lasts for years, and no more landowners stuck in limbo unable to sell, transfer, or get a mortgage because of disputed land.”
Cooper said the current “broken system” will be replaced with a new structure that will allow greater access to information through public searches of land information, grants unimpeded access to credit on formerly disputed land and solves ongoing land disputes.
“Mortgages and property sales will be processed faster,” he said. “Developments will move forward with certainty. Parents will confidently pass on land to their children. And inheritance disputes can finally be resolved fairly.”
Cooper said Bahamians have been agitating for land reform since the 1960s, when the first white paper on the issue was released.
He said it is “unacceptable” that people are facing the same issues in 2025, adding that the Davis administration must expedite the reform process. The Davis administration began consultation on the land reform bills last year. ~ The Nassau Guardian ~
